Each day, millions of beverages, such as soft drinks and beer, are consumed from metallic cans. Such cans are formed from cylinders or shells and have at least one end closure affixed thereto. The substantial majority of such can ends now include an easy-opening feature thereon. These easy-opening features are formed by such metal working processes as stamping, drawing, scoring and the like. Careful control must be maintained of the end forming process, since close tolerances must be maintained to produce an end in which the easy-opening feature will function as designed while at the same time produce an end which will not prematurely leak or otherwise fail under the internal pressures of a carbonated beverage packaged within the can. Such pressures may exceed 90 lbs. per square inch (6327.9 kg per square meter).
In order to maintain process control, it is common practice to test sample ends at regular intervals. Typically, a packing line operator will isolate several ends for test for every sleeve of ends packaged. A sleeve of ends contains approximately 200 ends. When a sufficient quantity of isolated ends have been gathered, they are transferred to a test station where they are punished and tested under pressure. Of course, prior to and during the testing of these ends, the end line is still producing ends. Should any of the test ends fail, all ends produced on the end line from the time of the initial failure must be individually tested until the cause of the failure is determined and is corrected. This requires unpackaging, testing and repackaging of thousands of ends.
In co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 508,081 filed June 27, 1983, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,797 an apparatus is disclosed for testing sample ends in line with the can end forming operation to give substantially immediate feedback on end quality. In order for such an apparatus to function, the apparatus must be fed sample ends from the end forming line at regular intervals. It is thus desirable to produce a device which periodically isolates sample ends from the can end forming line for direction to a testing station.